Indianapolis Colts right tackle Braden Smith returned to practice on Friday ahead of the Week 7 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers.
While this is no guarantee that Smith will return to the playing field for the prime-time matchup on Sunday night at Levi’s Stadium, this is the first time Smith has logged a practice in any capacity since injuring his foot in Week 1.
Braden Smith has returned to practice. #Colts
— Brett Bensley (@brettbensley) October 22, 2021
A situation the Colts didn’t they’d be in, the early expectation was that Smith would be sidelined for two or three weeks at a maximum. It’s now been six weeks since he’s played in a game.
The Colts offensive line has been decimated by injuries this season as left guard Quenton Nelson has also been out the last three weeks due to a high-ankle sprain. He’s eligible to return from injured reserve list this week, but it remains to be seen if that will be enough for him to play.
This is at least a step in the right direction for Smith so be on the lookout for the injury designations on the final injury report Friday.